Tanaiste Micheal Martin reveals when next Taoiseach will be decided as party leaders meet for talks on new government [Video]

MICHEAL Martin has confirmed that the new Taoiseach will be decided next year.

Simon Harris and Micheal Martin are meeting this morning in Leinster House, for their first round of talks since the Irish General Election.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin outside Government Buildings this morningCredit: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Taoiseach Simon Harris speaking to members of the media as he arrived at Government Buildings this morningCredit: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The Tanaiste said that deputy leaders met yesterday and had “a good, positive engagement, mapping out the structure of the talks, talking [about] each departmental area, each area of policy, and I would hope they can get substantive work done before Christmas.”

The deputy’s present at the meeting included Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers and Fine Gael’s Helen McEntee.

Revealing when the new Government will be formed, the Tanaiste noted that it will be in the New Year, when the Dail resumes.

This is also when the new Taoiseach will be elected.

He didn’t reveal who it …